Promises I can keep: why poor women put motherhood before marriage ; with a new prefaceto the 2011 edition

Over a span of five years, [the authors] talked in-depth with 162 low-income single moms ... to learn how they think about marriage and family. [This book] offers an intimate look at what marriage and motherhood mean to these women and provides [an] extensive on-the-ground study ... of why they put children before marriage despite the daunting challenges they know lie ahead.. [This book] argues that until poor young women and men have greater access to jobs that lead to financial security - that is, until they can hope for a rewarding life outside of bearing and raising children - they will continue to have children far sooner than most Americans think they should, and in less than ideal circumstances.-Dust jacket. "Over a span of five years, sociologists Kathryn Edin and Maria Kefalas talked in-depth with 162 low-income single moms to learn how they think about marriage and family. Promises I Can Keep offers an intimate look at what marriage and motherhood mean to these women and provides the most extensive on-the-ground study to date of why they put children before marriage despite the daunting challenges they know lie ahead." "Edin and Kefalas show that poor women do not reject marriage; on the contrary, they revere it. But marriage is an elusive goal, and many poor women believe they have little to lose by bearing children at a young age. Ultimately, it is the high value they place on children, combined with the fear that an enduring marriage is beyond their grasp, that leads women to pursue motherhood before marriage." "Promises I Can Keep argues that until poor young women and men have greater access to jobs that lead to financial security - that is, until they can hope for a rewarding life outside of bearing and raising children - they will continue to have children far sooner than most Americans think they should, and in less than ideal circumstances. As pressing policy issues and the larger public debate about the decline of "family values" intensify, this book provides an original and nuanced understanding of single parenting and the poor."--Jacket Millie Acevedo bore her first child before the age of 16 and dropped out of high school to care for her newborn. Now 27, she is the unmarried mother of three and is raising her kids in one of Philadelphia's poorest neighborhoods. Would she and her children be better off if she had waited to have them and had married their father first? Why do so many poor American youth like Millie continue to have children before they can afford to take care of them? Over a span of five years, sociologists Kathryn Edin and Maria Kefalas talked in-depth with 162 low-income single moms like Millie to learn how they think about marriage and family. Promises I Can Keep offers an intimate look at what marriage and motherhood mean to these women and provides the most extensive on-the-ground study to date of why they put children before marriage despite the daunting challenges they know lie ahead. Read an excerpt here: (http://www.scribd.com/doc/180858475/Promises-I-Can-Keep-Why-Poor-Women-Put-Motherhood-before-Marriage-With-a-New-Prefaceby-Kathryn-Edin-and-Maria-Kefalas) Promises I Can Keep: Why Poor Women Put Motherhood before Marriage, With a New Prefaceby Kathryn Edin and M... by (http://www.scribd.com/ucpress) University of California Press Millie Acevedo bore her first child before the age of 16 and dropped out of high school to care for her newborn. Now 27, she is the unmarried mother of three and is raising her kids in one of Philadelphia's poorest neighborhoods. Would she and her children be better off if she had waited to have them and had married their father first? Why do so many poor American youth like Millie continue to have children before they can afford to take care of them?

Over a span of five years, sociologists Kathryn Edin and Maria Kefalas talked in-depth with 162 low-income single moms like Millie to learn how they think about marriage and family. Promises I Can Keep offers an intimate look at what marriage and motherhood mean to these women and provides the most extensive on-the-ground study to date of why they put children before marriage despite the daunting challenges they know lie ahead. Millie Acevedo Bore Her First Child Before The Age Of 16 And Dropped Out Of High School To Care For Her Newborn. Now 27, She Is The Unmarried Mother Of Three And Is Raising Her Kids In One Of Philadelphia's Poorest Neighborhoods. Would She And Her Children Be Better Off If She Had Waited To Have Them And Had Married Their Father First? Why Do So Many Poor American Youth Like Millie Continue To Have Children Before They Can Afford To Take Care Of Them? Over A Span Of Five Years, Sociologists Kathryn Edin And Maria Kefalas Talked In-depth With 162 Low-income Single Moms Like Millie To Learn How. Kathryn Edin + Maria Kefalas. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 249-285) And Index. Preface to the 2011 Edition Introduction 1. "Before We Had a Baby ..." 2. "When I Got Pregnant ..." 3. How Does the Dream Die? 4. What Marriage Means 5. Labor of Love 6. How Motherhood Changed My Life Conclusion: Making Sense of Single Motherhood Acknowledgements Appendix A: City, Neighborhood, and Family Characteristics and Research Methods Appendix B: Interview Guide Notes References Index Antonia Rodriguez and her boyfriend Emilio, a young Puerto Rican couple, live in Philadelphia's West Kensington section, colloquially dubbed "the Badlands" because of all the drug activity and violence there.